alabamagrizzly said:
I've been for this for a long time.
FBS- Big Sky
1. Montana
2. Montana State
3. Eastern Washington
4. Idaho
5. Cal Poly
6. Portland State
7. Northern Arizona
FCS-Big Sky
1. Idaho State
2. North Dakota
3. Northern Colorado
4. Weber State
5. Southern Utah
6. UC Davis
7. Sacramento State
Tuff call between Sac St and NAU for 7th spot. Right now I think Sac St is more ready across the board for a move up except for football attendence. If the current requirements for an FBS school will be in place here then NAU is gonna get the nod.
UCDavis and Sac St will go FBS. Davis and Poly go Big Sky full time.
UND will renovate Memorial with 20k seats and go FBS.
NDSU and SDSU will have to pay $1 mill exit fees, but they will have to come to have any chance of going FBS. (The Summit League knew this was coming as the Summit League just raised the exit fee from 250k, that why NDSU's AD left as he cant stand the Big Sky and UND and MSU. NDSU's President knows the Big Sky will be their only avenue to FBS.) USD is more doubtful, as they will have a hard time with an FBS budget and Title IX will cripple them.
Fullerton's statements are a public acknowledgement that Big Sky teams that want FBS need to get their ducks in a row.
Big Sky FBS
1. Cal Poly (stadium expansion is planned over railroad tracks)
2. UCDavis (almost funded for 30K stadium expansion)
3. Sac St (ready)
4. Portland St (have to add women's sports)
5. Idaho
6. E Wash (have Gateway stadium expansion to be announced, need women's sports)
7. Montana (have to add another women's sport)
8. Mont St (add two women's sports , maybe equestrian)
9. UND (stadium expansion)
10. NMSU (may get an offer from the Sun Belt)
11. NDSU (can't get behind UND)
12. SDSU (new stadium being built)
13. USD (their dome will seat 16k once basketball is out)
The FCS Big Sky will merge with the WAC
Idaho St
Weber St (could go but too many FBS teams in area)
SUU
NAU (aren't funded well)
No Colo
Grand Canyon
Utah Valley
Bakersfield
Seattle
Maybe Dixie St as a 6th FCS team
The WAC will be a very reasonable travel league. Big Sky teams will have ready access to FCS schools for filling out their schedules.
UMKC, Chic St go back to the Summit
UTPA goes to the Southland